Wins for Wexford, Cork and Clare; Ireland to name updated squad for England trip

The Morning Sports Briefing: Keep ahead of the game with ‘The Irish Times’ sports team

Mon, Feb 17, 2020, 07:20

Fans of Wexford and Kilkenny brave the elements to watch Sunday’s league encounter at Wexford Park. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho

Three of Sunday’s five hurling league contests went ahead despite the stormy conditions - with Wexford’s win over Kilkenny proving the match of the weekend. “Wexford and Kilkenny played out not so much a league match as a Hell Week army exercise, wrestling with the conditions by wrestling with each other” - read Malachy Clerkin’s report in full here. Patrick Horgan scored two penalties as Cork defeated a plucky Westmeath side by four-points, and Brian Lohan’s Clare kept their unbeaten league run intact, with a comfortable win over Laois at Cusack Park in Ennis. The Division 1A clashes of Galway and Tipperary in Salthill and Limerick and Waterford at the Gaelic Grounds were both postponed. Tonight, in the Leinster Under-20 football quarter-final, Laois host Westmeath in O’Moore Park at 7.30pm.

Ireland will announce an updated squad for Sunday’s Six Nations clash against England this afternoon. It should see all or pretty much all of those 13 players released for Pro14 action over the weekend rejoin the 23 players who took part in last week’s two-day camp in Cork. Andy Farrell will confirm the starting XV and replacements on Wednesday. Gerry Thornley predicts only the one change to the Irish 23 - Caelan Doris to be named on the bench ahead of Max Deegan.